Photographs: Death Valley, Photographs: Desert, Photographs: Nature

Winter Desert Sky

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Winter Desert Sky
“Winter Desert Sky” — Evening clouds fill the winter sky above Death Valley.

We were in Death Valley just before Christmas 2025. Winter weather there is often beautiful, but it can change rapidly and difficult conditions are also possible — dust storms, rain, and even cold! This was one of those days. We woke up to gray skies and a forecast of rain arriving later that day. We had almost given up on our primary photographic objectives when we looked up and saw light on nearby peaks! There was apparently a brief break in the incoming clouds.

We sprang into action, heading out immediately and stopping at the first opportunity to photograph light on nearby peaks. We saw that it was even clearer to the north, so off we went in that direction. There the enormous desert sky was broken by cloud patterns as the last light gently lit distant mountains.

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G Dan Mitchell is a California photographer and visual opportunist. His book, “California’s Fall Color: A Photographer’s Guide to Autumn in the Sierra” (Heyday Books) is available directly from him. Blog | Bluesky | Mastodon | Substack Notes | Flickr | Email

All media © Copyright G Dan Mitchell and others.

Photographs: Fall, Photographs: Fall Color, Photographs: Nature, Photographs: Sierra Nevada, Photographs: Yosemite

The Old Oak Tree

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The Old Oak Tree
“The Old Oak Tree” — An old oak tree with autumn foliage, Yosemite Valley.

While this big oak tree grows in a meadow filled with scores of other beautiful oaks, it presents a different appearance than its neighbors. The other trees, perhaps because many of them grow close together, tend to be somewhat tall and slender. But this tree is massive, with thick trunk and main branches, and it spreads widely — enough so that it is as wide as it is tall.

One of Yosemite Valley’s monumental granite faces rises nearby behind this tree and its neighbors. Because that face is tall and to the south, its shadow falls across the trees for hours every day. I photographing it after the late-day shadow had arrived, which gives a softness to the image that would not be there in full sunlight.

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G Dan Mitchell is a California photographer and visual opportunist. His book, “California’s Fall Color: A Photographer’s Guide to Autumn in the Sierra” (Heyday Books) is available directly from him. Blog | Bluesky | Mastodon | Substack Notes | Flickr | Email


All media © Copyright G Dan Mitchell and others.

Photographs: Nature, Photographs: The Southwest, Photographs: Utah

Virgin River, Zion Canyon

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Virgin River, Zion Canyon
“Virgin River, Zion Canyon” — The Virgin river flows past trees and sandstone formations, Zion National Park.

Judging from the muddy water, a substantial amount of Utah landscape appears to be disolved in the Virgin River and flowing out of the park! A walk through the bottomlands of Zion Canyon reveals a riparian landscape subject to periodic flooding. Seeing this, you can begin to understand the role that water has played in forming this remarkable landscape.

On this morning we left our vehicle behind, shouldered photographic gear, and crossed to the far side of the canyon and the river, then followed a trail upstream. It was quiet and there was a lot to see, including a lovely little waterfall at one point.

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G Dan Mitchell is a California photographer and visual opportunist. His book, “California’s Fall Color: A Photographer’s Guide to Autumn in the Sierra” (Heyday Books) is available directly from him. Blog | Bluesky | Mastodon | Substack Notes | Flickr | Email

All media © Copyright G Dan Mitchell and others.

Photographs: Fall, Photographs: Fall Color, Photographs: Nature, Photographs: Sierra Nevada, Photographs: Yosemite

Autumn Flowers

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Autumn Flowers
“Autumn Flowers” — Autumn flowers scattered across a Yosemite Valley meadow.

The fall colors brought me to Yosemite Valley for a few days at the end of October. But autumn there isn’t just abut those colors — everything about the place is different during this season. The Valley seems to slow down and mellow out, and I sense that winter is just around the corner, even on a warm, sunny day like this one.

There’s a lot going on in this photograph, and it was a challenge to incorporate all of these elements. Right in front of the camera we see the golden-brown meadow, dotted with white flowers . The forest begins beyond that, with deciduous trees close to the Merced River and then large groves of conifers. In the distance, we see several of the famous Yosemite Valley granite cliffs, with details muted by haze and bright late-afternoon sun.

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G Dan Mitchell is a California photographer and visual opportunist. His book, “California’s Fall Color: A Photographer’s Guide to Autumn in the Sierra” (Heyday Books) is available directly from him. Blog | Bluesky | Mastodon | Substack Notes | Flickr | Email


All media © Copyright G Dan Mitchell and others.

Photographer and visual opportunist. Daily photos since 2005, plus articles, reviews, news, and ideas.